Apparatus for icing refrigerators and ice boxes



. 0-. R. CURRAN. APPARATUS FOR ICING REFRIGERATORS AND ICE BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I, I92]. 1,427,445. Pat nted Aug. 29, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

0. R. CURRAN. APPARATUS FOR ICING REFRIGEBATORS AND ICE BOXES.

APPLICAHQN FILED JUNE I, IQZI- 1,427,445. Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 1 object thereof to provide a device which stares rarest car es.

OSCAR R. GURRAN, OF GARDEN CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIG-NOB OE ONE-FOURTH TO W. G.

MERRIFIELD AND ONE-FOURTH'TO IT.

MISSOURI.

L. MEREIFIELDQBOTH O16 GARDEN CITY,

APPARATUS FOR ICING REFRIGERATORS AND ICE BOXES.

mamas.

Specif cation of Letters Patent. P t nt 29, 1922;

Application filed June 1, 1921. Serial No. 474,094.

door-opening into the ice receptacle of the refrigerator or ice-box is usually located at a considerable height above the floor and the blocks of ice which are put into it are very.

large, ordinarily weighing several hundred pounds each.

My invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the above operation and it is an can readily be manipulated by one, person for lifting large blocks of ice from the floor level into the refrigerator orice-bo:

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is adapted for use in the icing of refrigerators or ice-boxes having the door-opening into their ice-receptacles at various heights from the floor.

These and such other objects as may here-' inafter appear-are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and claimed.

Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification, wherein: p

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe device showing the ice chute with a block ofice therein in lowered position in full lines and partly'elevated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device.

Figure 3 is a view showing the chute in position to deliver a blockof ice into the refrigerator.

line 4-4 of Figure '3and looking inthe direction' of-the arrows.

Figure 5 isa fragmentary end view of the chute showing its sliding connection with the track.

Throughout the following detailed description and on the several figures of the drawing,similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character A represents a portion of a refrigerator or ice-boxhaving a door-opening B into its ice-receptacle.

The reference numeral 1 indicates a chute adapted to receive a large block of ice; The chute 1 is pivotally and slidably connected to the refrigerator or ice-box by means of a track 2. The track 2 comprises parallel grooved side rails 3 rigidly connected by cross brace members 41-. The side rails 3 are pivoted at one end upon pintles 5 5 projecting laterally from brackets 6 attached to the outside of the refrigerator or ice-box adjacent the lower edge of the door-opening B. The track 2 is detachably held upon the pintles 5 by suitable means such as cotter pins and washers. The chute 1 is provided at its lower side edges with members 7 ar-- ranged to slide in the grooves of the rails 3 and the chute is-adapted to occupy either the full line position'of Figure 1 or the dotted line position or any intermediate position. In the full line position the lower end of the chute is in engagement with the floor, which is the position for loading the block of ice into the chute. It will be seen that by reason of the sliding connection of the chute 1 with the track 2 and the fact that the chute is adapted to extend beyond the lower end of thetrack any distance within the limits of the length. of the chute without becoming disconnected therefrom. an apparatus having a trackand chute of a given length will beada-pted for use with refrigerators or ice-boxes having the dooropening into their ice receptacles at various heights. I I

For limiting the swinging of the track 2 toward the refrigeratorforice-box, leg members 8 are provided pivotally connected atone end to the rails3' intermediate the ends 'of the latter. Braces 9 are pivotally r I I connected at one end to the rails 3 adjacent Figure ''is a sectional viewtaken on the the pivoted ends of the latter and have their opposite end portions slottedasin'dicated by the reference numeral 10. Bolts 11 passing through the leg members 8 and slots 10 of braces 9 and provided with thumb nuts 12 adjustably connect the braces 9 to the members 8.

For raising and tilting the chute there is provided a bail 13 having its ends pivotally connected to the outer or closed end of the chute and a block and tackle comprising a pulley 1% connected to the bail 13, a pulley 15 connected to the ceiling or at some other suitable point, and a rope or cable connected at one end to one of the pulley blocks and passing over both pulleys and extending down in position to be grasped by an operator.

In the use of the device a block of ice will be placed in the chute 1 when the latter is in the position indicated in full lines in Figure 1, and the operator will then grasp the cable 16 and by pulling on the same cause the chute to slide upwardly with respect to the track 2 until this relative movement is arrested by suitable stops on the chute 1 coming into contact with cooperating stops on the track 2. In the device as illustrated this relative movement is stopped by the bail 13 coming into contact with the outer ends of the grooved rails 3. hen the relative movement between the chute 1 and track '2 is stopped the continued pulling on the cable will cause the chute and track to tilt upwardly on the pintles 5 until the bottom of the chute inclines upwardly from the lower edge of the door-opening, as illustrated in Figure 3, whereupon the block of icewill slide by gravity out of the chute and through the door opening into the ice receptacle.

It will be obvious that certain modifications of the invention as illustrated may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. Thus the track Q'may be made any length and in sections one sliding with respect to another, or a permanent stationary track may be provided having a top section connected to the refrigerator or iceboX and arranged to tilt with the chute.

While I have described my invention as primarily useful for loading ice into refrigerators or ice-boxes, it will be obvious that it is adapted for the handling and loading of other material.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In loading apparatus for refrigerators, the combination with a support, of a receiving chute the lower end of which is adapted to coact with the ground surface in loading position, connecting means intermediate the upper end of the chute and the wall of the support holding said chute in rigid extension with its body upwardly inclining in alinement with said means, and hoisting means connected with the chute the initial movement of which shifts the chute on to the connecting means and thereafter tilts the chute and said means to position the bottom of the chute at a downward inclination for discharging its contents.

2. In loading apparatus for refrigerators or the like, the combination with a support, of a receiving chute the lower end of which is adapted to coact with the ground surface in loading position, connecting means pivotally attached at one end to the support and slidingly connected with the upper end of the chute in such position as to sustain the chute rigidly extending to the ground surface with its bottom upwardly inclining in alinement with said means, and hoisting means connected to the lower end of the chute the initial movement of which will slide the chute onto the connecting means to bring the mouth of the chute into contiguous relation to the pivotal connection aforesaid and further movement of which tilts said chute and connecting means to position the chute bottom at a downward inclination for discharging the contents thereof.

3. In loading apparatus for refrigerators, the combination with a support, of a receiving chute the lower end of which is adapted to coact with the ground surface in loading position, connecting means intermediate the upper end of the chute and the wall of the support holding said chute in rigid extension with its body upwardly inclining in 'aline ment with. said means, hoisting means connected with the chute the initial movement of which shifts the chute on to the connecting means and thereafter tilts the chute and said means to position the bottom of the chute at a downward inclination for discharging its contents, and bracket means carried by said connecting means and coacting with the support in loading position and with the connecting means intermediate its length, said bracket means being movable with the connecting means in the pivotal movement.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising a track, means for pivotally connecting one end of said track to the wall of a refrigerator or ice-box adjacent the lower edge of the door-opening into the ice recep tacle thereof, means carried by said track for engagement with said wall to limit the downward tilting movement of said track, a chute slidably connected with said track. and adapted to extend beyond the same and engage the floor as a stop when said track is at the limit of its downward tilting movement, and hoisting means connected to said chute for first sliding the same on its track toward said wall to position its delivery end adjacent said door-opening and thereafter tilting said track and chute together to incline the bottom of said chute upwardly with respect to said door-opening.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising a track having grooved rails, means for pivotally connecting one end of said track to the wall of a refrigerator or icebox adjacent the lower edge of the dooropening into the ice receptacle thereof, a

chute-carrying means sliding in the grooves of said rails, said chute being adapted to extend beyond said track when the latter is at a downward inclination with respect to said wall and to engage the floor as a stop, hoisting means connected to said chute for first sliding the same on its track toward said wall to position its delivery end adj acent said door-opening and thereafter tilting said track and chute together to incline the bottom of said chute upwardly with respect to said door-opening, and cooperating stop means on said track and chute for limiting the sliding movement of said chute toward said wall.

i 6. Apparatus of the class described comprising a track, means for pivotally connecting one end of said track to the wall of a refrigerator or icebox adjacent the lower edge of the door-opening into the ice-receptacle thereof, means carried by said track for engagement with said wall to limit the downward tilting movement of said track, a chute slidably mounted upon said track and adapted to extend beyond the same and engage the floor as a stop when said track is at the limit of its downward tilting movement, a bail having its ends pivotally connected to said chute adjacent its outer or closed end, and hoisting means including a pulley and a cable connected to said pulley for first sliding said chute on its track toward said wall to position its delivery end adjacent said door-opening and thereafter tilting said track and chute together to incline the bottom of said chute upwardly with respect to said door-opening, said bail being arranged to engage the end ofsaid track for limiting the sliding movement of said chute toward said wall.

7. In an article handling apparatus of the class described, hoisting means adapted to be connected to a support for lifting the material to be hoisted onto said support, comprising a track section pivotally connected to said support, and a hopper section movable relatively to the first-mentioned section, said second-mentioned section be ing adapted to receive the material to be lifted, means connected to the said second section for raising both sections to the proper height to discharge the hopper section, said hopper section being movable onto the track section, and means for sustaining the track section in its position during the movement of the hopper section thereonto, said means forming a part of the track section.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

OSCAR R. 'OURRAN. 

